The present invention is directed to an apparatus for compacting solid bioinjurious wastes, especially radioactive waste, in closed sheet metal containers, consisting of a closed containment having roller conveyors and other transportation elements, a container entrance lock, a high pressure press and a container discharge lock with a collecting vessel.
In the elimination of solid, bioinjurious wastes, especially with solid radioactive wastes, there is the problem of concentrating the waste volumes to such an extent that the least possible waste volume is obtained without releasing the toxic or radioactive constituents in the handling or storage. This type of solid waste, which is to be treated, is derived from the chemical industry, the petrochemical industry, the medicinal and pharmacy sector, from research places, hospitals and from the nuclear installations.
There are used to compact the waste volumes, e.g., packing presses, which compress the solid goods, in part directly in waste containers, for example in 200 liter drums. Such compacting devices are described for example in German No. OS 26 59 691, in German Pat. No. 22 43 136 and in the Chemie-Ing. Techn., 42nd year, 1970, No. 9/10, pages 649 and 650. There are also known high pressure presses with which waste containers are compacted together with their waste contents.
All of these compacting devices have in part the disadvantages of the extensive exposed supplying and handling of the waste, and also the disadvantage of a very expensive design. Therefore, such plants are little suited for a variable quick insertion or loading at waste collection places and in the regular removal in the chemical and nuclear industry.
The present invention, therefore, is based on the problem of providing an apparatus for compacting solid bioinjurious wastes, especially radioactive wastes, located in closed sheet metal containers consisting of a closed containment area having roller conveyors and other transportation elements, a container inlet entrance lock, a high pressure press and a container discharge lock with a collecting vessel, which is completely safe for the environment and in a given case can be loaded quickly, as well as being simple and safe to handle and is connectable to the supply devices for the solidification agent which is used at times.